


please, deceive me.

by IllyaTsubomi



Series: don't laugh at my 'pure words of love', okay? [2]
Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 22:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13063755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllyaTsubomi/pseuds/IllyaTsubomi
Summary: “Even if it’s just a lie…. would you please at least say you love me once so I could get my mind off it? I promise I’ll forget about this ever happening to us. Just…. once. For a memory. Yeah.”[[Written while looping Shunrai by Kenshi Yonezu.Sequel to the previous R18 fic, though it doesn't quite require to read that.]]





	please, deceive me.

It has been a week since that incident occurred in their Rayshift, the incident causing her to lose her  _first time_  to him. As time progressed, she noticed her tiny crush on him just grown in size— as painful as it is.

She can’t even explain why she liked that jerk, anyway. It’s just painful.

She believed that he won’t really at least like her back, after all.

 

* * *

 

“So,” Mashu sighed softly. “Ever since then, you avoided Mr. Holmes, don’t you?”

Scooping a pudding into her mouth, Ritsuka throws her gaze somewhere else, trying to escape any wild guesses from Mashu herself by not answering, pretending that she didn’t hear even a thing.

“ _Senpai_ , I’m asking you!” Mashu raised her voice, and Ritsuka puts down her cup of pudding, sighing. Seems like it’s not a correct way to get out of this situation, indeed. She felt stupid to think that it would even work.

“I—I can’t help that! I—it’s… just… hard.” Ritsuka’s face brightens in a shade of red, she can’t even look at Mashu to answer her straightly to her eyes. Mashu sighed.

“Well, I know it can’t be helped, but since you two were so close before, we all in Chaldea are worried.” Mashu crossed her arms. “Well, did he say anything to you?”

“He tried, but before he could say anything…I told him to leave me alone for a while…” Ritsuka toys with her orange hair, still blushing.

“Such a gentleman who respects your choice, indeed.” Mashu puts her palm to her face, sighing. “You see, Master— no,  _Senpai_ , since I’m going to speak this to you as your closest friend and junior. It’s better if you at least say something to him.”

“….As in, what…? What kind of thing should I say?”

“As in, you should at least sort out your feelings and say what’s in your mind to him— including your crush, of course. Regardless of what happened next, Chaldea required you to at least stay on a professional relationship with him. Not… avoiding him every single time.”

“But…” One word and Ritsuka gazed away again in silence, so Mashu went over to pat her shoulder.

“Don’t worry,  _Senpai_. It was a situation that can’t be helped, and you did the best you could. At the very least, that emergency happened to someone you actually like, didn’t it? Maybe he would like you too— but even if you’re heartbroken, I’ll lend you my shoulder to cry. I promise.”

Ritsuka could clearly see Mashu’s gentle smile, that somewhat reassures her that she feels like she could cry.

“…..Thank you, Mashu…”

* * *

 

It’s still hard to enter his room just like that, she couldn’t even knock.

Yet, the door opened on its own.  _Crap, did she made any sounds for him to guess up she’s here?_  It looks like it, because he’s on the other side of the door, gazing down at her at his height and asking;

“I guess we’re done with the silence period?” Holmes said, and all Ritsuka could do is trembling, confused as what to say. But remembering Mashu’s encouragement raises her head up, and she’s able to nod in response, in which gazing to his beautiful eyes—  _damn it, why does she have the leisure to think of that right now?!_

“Y….Yeah. I’d like to talk….”

“Good. Because I do, too. Come on in.”

She expected the mess once she stepped into his room. It was something she’s used to from time to time she spent with him, yet their current situation drops an eerie feeling down to her skin. It’s mostly just her being nervous, she knows that.

Anyway, she should start to say something now, at least.

“Holmes, I—”

“Ritsuka.”

He interrupts her by calling out her name—  _just_  her name, just like that day. It brings her shivers once again, as her face grew red.

“Ugh, just call me the usual, won’t you?” Ritsuka puts on her tough act. “Well, I guess that’s fine if you like to, but….”

“Does that incident bother you that much?”

“O— Of course!”  _You really don’t understand how girls feel, don’t you?!_ she would add, but it would just make her feel as the worst for liking a guy like him.

“That does include your unexpected confession of love to me, or am I wrong?”

And to that, Ritsuka was speechless as she bit her lips, unable to say anything until the reminiscence hits her back. She did that when she wasn’t fully aware, and she just fully remembered now.

_Shit_.

“Don’t make that face. I speculated that already even before your confession, it’s not something to make a big deal of.”

“As if it’s going to make things better?! You really don’t get my feelings, don’t you?” Ritsuka slams the table, face bright red. He really is a jerk and she doesn’t understand why she likes him that much.  _Ugh_.

“Calm down, Ritsuka. It is not like I didn’t get your feelings. In fact, my speculation when did you start having those feelings for me were pretty much correct now that I look back to it. It’s very obvious once you could clearly see”

“That just makes it worse!”

“And this reveal is exactly what’s needed for you to relax.” For a split second, Ritsuka swore she saw Holmes’ smirk. “Now, feel free to say what exactly is bothering on your mind, Master.”

_This bastard—-_

She really doesn’t know what to say now, but she does feel more relaxed than her tensed state before. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if she’s really going to make things right even if she said anything. Holmes would probably move on with what happened between them, even if she couldn’t. It was indeed a risk she had as a Master, and she would forget about it as time goes by.

_But does she really want to forget it?_

Before she could even realize what she’s doing, she already leans to him, pushing him over the sofa and gazing at him straightly.

And when her brain could control what she’s doing out of her scrambled down feelings, it was too late as she already grabbed him to a kiss.

Strangely, he lets her be. She hoped it would be a chance, though she knew that there’s no way that would happen with him being like this. She pulled out of the kiss, blushing so hard that she feels like she’s boiling.

“Aaah, enough! I can’t do this anymore!” Ritsuka shouted angrily as she begins her rant. “I really do like you, okay? That incident was still on my mind because I like you that much! I know this is probably wrong and you won’t like some weird girl like me back, but—”

She started to feel her eyes is getting wet. Ah, she just started crying by now.

“Ritsuka…?”

Holmes tried to reach out for her back, but she slapped his hand before he could reach, staring at him with a stare that would’ve said ‘Please listen to the end’, and as he understood, he complies with such request.

“Even if it’s just a lie…. would you please at least say you love me once so I could get my mind off it? I promise I’ll forget about this ever happening to us. Just…. once. For a memory. Yeah.”

Ritsuka closed her eyes out of her overwhelming tears soon after, not wanting to see his face, yet she could clearly hear him sigh.

“Pardon me, I could not lie about such thing. If anything, saying it could make things worse.”

“Haha, I knew it. Okay then, I won’t force you. Let’s…. just forget this ever happened” Ritsuka sobbed, as she wiped her tears, opening her eyes. She raises herself up, trying to leave. Yet, he grabbed her and pushed her down. Ritsuka shrieked a little.

“You are certain of your feelings being one-sided, am I right? Unfortunately, you are getting something wrong.”

“W—what do you mean?”

“Think closely of this situation.” He sighed closely. Ritsuka smelled tobacco, as per usual when she’s close to him. It’s a horrible smell, yet since she knew it belongs to him, she could feel calm. She understood well what he meant. Yet, a part of her still doesn’t want to believe it.

“You love me back….?”  _No, it can’t be._

“I couldn’t say it was ‘love’, that word would be too heavy on itself for now. Let us keep it as ‘interest’ for now— no, ‘adoration’ might be a better word for it, dear.”

Ritsuka was speechless and dumbfounded.  _Is this even real?_

“….Uh… you mean it?”

“What do you think? No, what do you want it to be?” Holmes asked. “I don’t mind either way. After all, you do take my interest, and it won’t be any harm to me, though I don’t really know if I could consider it as ‘love’. Well, maybe with a little push, someday, it could take an evolution on itself.”

_Again with the questions._ Ritsuka pouts as her heart beats so fast that she couldn’t think straight.

“I really want this to be real, I can say that at the very least.” She gazes away. “I mean, being liked back is such a wonderful feeling…. e—even if it’s not too much.”

“Then, so be it.” Holmes raises up then patting her head gently, surprising her. His hands are quite big, she just noticed now. His hand is pretty cold, but she could feel the warmth on her cheeks.

“Holmes….?”

Ritsuka raised herself, scratching her cheek a little.

“Hm?”

“Thanks. Even if it’s not quite what I had in mind, thanks for taking interest in me.” Ritsuka smirked a little, though her cheek was still red, as she gathered her courage to stare at his olive eyes. “But you know? I don’t have enough, yet. After all, I’m sure you’re just saying that for the better good. I’ll do my best so you’ll look at me more in… uh, that way.”

“Interesting. I want to see how far you could go with this, Master— no, Ritsuka.”

* * *

 

Hearing her story, Mashu’s eyes sparkle in excitement as she grabbed Ritsuka in a hug, squealing.

“That’s great! I’m glad for you,  _Senpai_!”

“….Sometimes I wonder how could I even do that on the spur of the moment… ahaha.” Ritsuka scratches the back of her head, face tinting in slight red. She’s the kind to get fired up when cornered, isn’t she? “I guess for him it’s just a little game, though. To see how far could I go to ‘seduce’ him. Or something. But I guess that’s fine. At least we can talk to each other less awkwardly now.”

Mashu giggles.

“You really like him, huh.”

“Yeah. I know this might be wrong, but…”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with liking someone!” Mashu is suddenly fired up to the point Ritsuka can see flames in her eyes. “Now then, we should hold a strategy meeting! I’ll do my best, using all my knowledge of him to support you,  _Senpai_!”

“There’s no need for that!”

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I attached to this self-indulgent pairing too much now... Oh well. What's done is done.
> 
> I want to do something more silly with my Chaldea members after this (Masked Baritsu, anyone?), or another HomuGuda r18.


End file.
